front wheel bearing replacement on 1986 syncro
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front wheel bearing replacement on 1986 syncro
can anyone email me the proceedure for strip down and replacement of front wheel bearing for a 1986 lhdrive 2.1ltr dj engine syncro. Or give me the url source for tech information
What manual is there thats best for the specialist items on a syncro, eg wheel bearings, visco coupling, radiator pipes etc
thanks
kevin
email is kevinhjones@btinternet.com
What manual is there thats best for the specialist items on a syncro, eg wheel bearings, visco coupling, radiator pipes etc
thanks
kevin
email is kevinhjones@btinternet.com
On ejob I haven't done, but a few here should be able to give you a rough rundown. The seals are the expensive bit BTW, VW only until we find an equivalent.
The Bentley manual is what you want... Just Kampers sell them, 1985-91 Vanagon, about £60 or look on eBay
P.S. The rear bearing job is in the Wiki (same as 2WD). Front syncro ones really don't seem to give much of a problem, though ocacsionally people do them.
The Bentley manual is what you want... Just Kampers sell them, 1985-91 Vanagon, about £60 or look on eBay
P.S. The rear bearing job is in the Wiki (same as 2WD). Front syncro ones really don't seem to give much of a problem, though ocacsionally people do them.
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- syncro4us
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more info on the wheel bearing, radiator replacement as well
I thought it would be a bu--er of a job. To add more detail, Han and I went down to the Sierra Nevada in S SPain last three weeks to explore a bit and get some sunshine and swimming in and the long drive there and back , about 5000 miles in all the bearing got slightly more noisy, I assume its the bearing anyway. When you steer through a left hand bend it gets noisier and on rh bends not so noisy. Now on a normal cone bearing this would indicate the right hand bearing has gone but as these are not cone bearings I wonder, becase all the noise seems to come from the Left hand side under the driver position (its LHD) so any one got any comments on this.
Also the Radiator sprung a leak in the mountains after some off roading in the high Sierras , temporarily repaired with rad weld but it still loses about a pint every 500 kms or so, which I am replacing, so is this a fairly straightforward job. I intend to replace the two rubber hoses at the same time, parts v expensive from VW but we are on another journey next year all over europe so want them as good a quality as poss.
Also the Radiator sprung a leak in the mountains after some off roading in the high Sierras , temporarily repaired with rad weld but it still loses about a pint every 500 kms or so, which I am replacing, so is this a fairly straightforward job. I intend to replace the two rubber hoses at the same time, parts v expensive from VW but we are on another journey next year all over europe so want them as good a quality as poss.
Happy travels then , and well worth using VW parts.
What i would do in the meantime, is to jack up both sides in turn, spin the wheels and listen and look, check for play by rocking vertically and horizontally.
Get a couple of front wheel bearing nuts (JKampers or VW), remove the nuts and take a wee look around, if old grease remove as much as possible with a clean thin screwdriver and lint-free rag, re-grease, replace the wheel nut to specification,
350 Nm; 258 ft-lb
If the bearing is worn and breaking up it may then do so much quicker. If its basically OK then the noise may go away.
Look into getting the job done, and the above should clarify which bearing it is, quite often difficult to pinpoint.
PS. A good time to do this is when you are doing the front outer CVJ's too, or any of the top or bottom suspension joints.
What i would do in the meantime, is to jack up both sides in turn, spin the wheels and listen and look, check for play by rocking vertically and horizontally.
Get a couple of front wheel bearing nuts (JKampers or VW), remove the nuts and take a wee look around, if old grease remove as much as possible with a clean thin screwdriver and lint-free rag, re-grease, replace the wheel nut to specification,
350 Nm; 258 ft-lb
If the bearing is worn and breaking up it may then do so much quicker. If its basically OK then the noise may go away.
Look into getting the job done, and the above should clarify which bearing it is, quite often difficult to pinpoint.
PS. A good time to do this is when you are doing the front outer CVJ's too, or any of the top or bottom suspension joints.
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Interesting stuff.
I just picked up some front bearings today.
Was talking to Dave 'aka futbus' it looks like a pig of a job.
Van had warning on MOT because there was alot of movement in front off-side wheel.
Just thinking can this be anything else other than bearings?
Big nut at bottom of arm/hub assembly was also loose
There doesn't seem to be any noise.
If not, what other jobs should I do at same time?
Vans 20 years old, 100,000 miles, discs are thin and I'm thinking of keeping it a long time............(because I like it
)
Bushes?
I just picked up some front bearings today.
Was talking to Dave 'aka futbus' it looks like a pig of a job.
Van had warning on MOT because there was alot of movement in front off-side wheel.
Just thinking can this be anything else other than bearings?
Big nut at bottom of arm/hub assembly was also loose
There doesn't seem to be any noise.
If not, what other jobs should I do at same time?
Vans 20 years old, 100,000 miles, discs are thin and I'm thinking of keeping it a long time............(because I like it

Bushes?
You need to establish where that movement is coming from... a jemmy/big lever and a friend nearby (to watch while you lever or vice versa) is handy.
It is probably the bottom ball-joint, not the bearing... this requires a press usually, which requires bearing housing removal (whole vertical arm)
If it has the early fabrciated lower arms then check throughly for corrosion at the same time.
Discs 5 Minute job, Brakes International or VW sourced.
Other jobs you might consider:
Check the upper wishbone bushes, these squeak and do go.
ARB drop arm sleeve, rubber damping rings, cups (watch you don't snap the drop arm when undoing/re-tightening)
The front radius arm bushes often look fine, but being a larger version of the design of the ARB drop arm rubbers, internal sleeve corrodes in just the same way, and if bad, affect the steering accuracy (partic under braking).
In fact if the whole bearing housing comes off the vehiclethen you mightas well do anything there, including taking a good look at the under seat tray for rust and holes. Spring compressor to replace springs, shocker damoing rings at tope etc.
The list goes on...
It is probably the bottom ball-joint, not the bearing... this requires a press usually, which requires bearing housing removal (whole vertical arm)
If it has the early fabrciated lower arms then check throughly for corrosion at the same time.
Discs 5 Minute job, Brakes International or VW sourced.
Other jobs you might consider:
Check the upper wishbone bushes, these squeak and do go.
ARB drop arm sleeve, rubber damping rings, cups (watch you don't snap the drop arm when undoing/re-tightening)
The front radius arm bushes often look fine, but being a larger version of the design of the ARB drop arm rubbers, internal sleeve corrodes in just the same way, and if bad, affect the steering accuracy (partic under braking).
In fact if the whole bearing housing comes off the vehiclethen you mightas well do anything there, including taking a good look at the under seat tray for rust and holes. Spring compressor to replace springs, shocker damoing rings at tope etc.
The list goes on...
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I've just done some of this, replaced a lower control arm, so also replaced lower control arm bush, top and bottom ball joints, lca bolt (cut it to remove cos rusted to sleeve), I didn't disturb the anti-rollbar link(early) and they looked good so left alone, but did get them in just in case. Replaced all nuts/bolts with genuine.
Bentley is pretty good on all this.
I have four hub seals in stock at the moment, and have checked with seal supplier not available elsewhere, made by SIKU for VW special order, unless someone knows better. However Gunzl seems to show them for less money on his site, and other german suppliers seem to offer them, but when I ordered a complete bearing and seal set from ebay I got the bearings from a BMW kit, which look the same, but no seals and no success getting them sunsequently hence having to go to vw for them.
I have the press tools for fitting lower ball joint and lower control arm bush if required.
Genuine FAG front bearings can be obtained from uk sources for half vw price.
Genuine lower ball joint is good value for money, top is silly money, go gsf etc for that.
Bentley is pretty good on all this.
I have four hub seals in stock at the moment, and have checked with seal supplier not available elsewhere, made by SIKU for VW special order, unless someone knows better. However Gunzl seems to show them for less money on his site, and other german suppliers seem to offer them, but when I ordered a complete bearing and seal set from ebay I got the bearings from a BMW kit, which look the same, but no seals and no success getting them sunsequently hence having to go to vw for them.
I have the press tools for fitting lower ball joint and lower control arm bush if required.
Genuine FAG front bearings can be obtained from uk sources for half vw price.
Genuine lower ball joint is good value for money, top is silly money, go gsf etc for that.